Thursday, September 5, 2013

2013 LTD Farm CSA Member Dinner

Last November I reserved my LTD Farm CSA share for the 2013
season. For those of you unfamiliar with the term "CSA", it's an acronym that stands for Community Supported Agriculture and is a fantastic way to buy local, organic, and seasonal produce directly from a farmer in your area. As a pretty diligent
“clean eater” I was looking forward to the monthly box of organic, freshly
pulled-from-the-ground goodies that I would be able to use in creative and fun
ways.

After the long-awaited excitement of the initial box in June, the first Tuesday of each following month became like Christmas. Duck
eggs, kale, tomatoes, cucumbers, many varieties of lettuce, carrots, beets, peppers,
beans, tomatillos, eggplant, herbs, wild flowers, homemade apple sauce and goat milk soap-just to name a few of the things we so gratefully received; and when I opened the email inviting us to their member dinner, I was thrilled. I had been regularly following their journaled farm life on their Facebook page, and was excited to meet the couple
whom worked so hard to provide us with the best produce imaginable.

As we navigated the country roads that led from the city to
the home of my beloved CSA, I couldn’t help but sit in awe of the beauty that surrounded us.Rolling hills
peppered with treetops of emerald green, small streams tucked in a lush
colorful landscape that gently held nature’s bounty.It was a far cry from city life, and the peacefulness of what
laid before us was mesmerizing.

Bluebelle

Upon arrival, we were immediately welcomed with a smile and
hug from Khaiti, our beautiful and gracious hostess.The farm dogs, Belle and Javier were also there to give us a
sniff and a tail wag that let us know we were welcome to join the party (Little Blue was up on the hill keeping watch over the pastured birds).To the right of the farm house and past
a glorious apple tree, Khaiti's husband and partner in permaculture, Andrew, was sitting with guests around a long dinner table decorated with burlap
runners on top of white linens and topped with beautiful flowers setting the stage for the feast…which was nothing short of amazing.

The Mexican-inspired buffet prepared by Andrew and Khaiti
themselves, was filled with fresh goodies from the farm. We dined on homemade salsas, heirloom
tomatoes, chipotle herbed chevre, Spanish rice, beans, and the most tender,
flavorful goat meat.That’s right,
goat meat.

For those who
know me (and are also aware of my love of goats, which makes this even more
shocking), you know that I am not a meat eater.I began my journey as a vegetarian when I was just shy of 15
years old after learning about the horrors factory farming and animal processing.My aversion towards meat continued when
I learned more about how “conventional meat” is raised and how the use of
antibiotics had become the norm.Although I eat a mostly plant-based diet, I respect and support the
farmers who feed their animals the kind of feed they are meant to eat, and who
give them a good life with respect and dignity, something I believe all living
beings should receive.So the
short of the long of it is, I tried the goat meat and it was delicious.

The dinner conversation involved subjects you would expect
from conscious CSA members; recipes, wellness, and with the dawn of the new
school year in mind, thoughts on local school lunch programs from concerned
parents. We even had a couple special guest appearances when Khaiti brought out
two baby chicks to join the fun.

After dinner, our generous hosts led us on a tour of the
farm.We followed a winding
flower-lined path through orchards and pastures that held goats, ducks, pigs,
rabbits, chickens, and turkeys as well as a thoughtfully planned vegetable
garden. We learned about the trials of raising pastured animals and the
predators that seek them, some of them as unlikely (maybe unlikely to me as a
city girl with limited predator knowledge) as blood-sucking weasels and
chicken-snatching owls.As
dedicated farmers, they have gone so far as to camp out with their birds to
discover how to best ward off the predator and protect the animals they are
raising.

Josh and Me

The evening was not only lovely, it validated my decision
and continued efforts to support my local farmers, which to me, has become an
important part of mindful eating and conscientious living. It’s difficult to
put into words the hard work and dedication it takes to be an organic farmer-to
stand up for what you believe in when the odds are often stacked against
you.To say their efforts are
admirable and inspiring is not even scratching the surface of the amount of
respect I have for the two of them and everyone like them.

I encourage everyone who reads this who is not already a
member, to seek out a CSA farm near you and participate in what may be one of the most
beneficial things you can do for not only the environment and your community, but also your
health.There are national websites available where you can peruse different CSA farms and their offerings such as Local Harvest, or for those
of you who are local to Minnesota or Western Wisconsin, you can visit the The Land Stewardship Project.